Page 23
by ialwayswantedtobebrave
Summary: Regina Mills was used to losing everyone she loved. Yet, a new possibility for happiness comes along in a way she never expected. (AU of Season 4)


Some say fate is written in the stars while others believe that you can make your own destiny. The truth is that there are infinite possibilities with every decision made by every person that has ever lived. Every world that exists offers a different life to individual human beings. Paths of what might have been or what could still be. The author of fate sees all and allows each possible decision to play out as separate realities. However, occasionally-once in a few lifetimes-he lets one person see what their lives could have been.

Feeling her heart being ripped and shredded inside her chest as she was left behind once again, Regina Mills tore up the page that had offered her the hope she knew she'd never have. She had become accustomed to losing love to a place she could not follow. First, Daniel to death and then Henry to a curse. Now, she'd lost Robin due to the simple fact that she was a villain. As she'd learned too many times to count: villains don't get the "happily" in their ever afters.

_ Don't turn around. Whatever you do, don't watch him disappearing from your life. At least I got to say goodbye. _Regina thought to herself walking back to her car and releasing the remnants of page 23 fall to the wet pavement. But she couldn't help herself.

Just as she reached her car door and put her hand on the handle, she dared to glance at the retreating forms of the Locksley family. Marian was clutching Roland's little hand while he stumbled along between his parents in the way children do at the age of four. Robin was looking over his shoulder.

He seemed to be looking for the group he had left behind; hoping to capture one last look of the woman he had chosen yet had to leave behind.

Regina let out a quiet gasp as tears started to fall from her eyes. _She couldn't do this. _As she tore the Mercedes car open and got inside, Will Scarlett jogged in her direction calling out "Your Majesty, wait!"

Sighing and hastily wiping at her eyes making sure no tears showed on her face, Regina placed a forced smile on her face and looked up to the Knave.

"I need to get back to town. What do you want?"

"Look, I know that you don't exactly know a lot about me, or my history. But I just..." Will started to say in his thick accent but Regina cut him off.

"Whatever you have to say, save it. I am currently not in the mood for a speech about holding out hope or that he'll find a way to come back. Thank you for your concern Mr. Scarlett but if you'd please move. I'd really like to leave now." Regina voice trembled as she finished. Tears were once again rolling from her closed eyes.

She needed to get away from people. She needed to find a place to grieve that didn't have any ties with him. But she knew in her heart that every place within the confines of Storybrooke's borders would tie back to a memory they shared.

Regina could feel Will's eyes scouring over her face, the tears rolling down her cheeks and what she was sure was small streaks of black under her eyes from the makeup she had so meticulously applied that morning.

"Alright," he replied tightly, closing the Mercedes door and walking back toward the rest of the Merry Men that had gathered to say goodbye to their leader.

Placing the key into the ignition, she started her car and left the townline behind her. Lost in her own thoughts, Regina drove into town almost in a blur until she realized that she had arrived at her Granny's Diner of all places.

With a sigh, she parked across the street and headed inside in need of a very strong cup of black coffee. Sometimes she wished that doing the right thing didn't have to hurt her heart so much.

After a few hours transitioning from heartbreak to hope, Regina finally arrived home from the author's house with a renewed drive. Henry raced out of the front seat of the Mercedes with Regina following slowly behind pondering. Even though Robin had been forced to leave, she could finally a chance to have her happy ending after all.

"Operation Mongoose is now in full swing. Just wait, Mom! We'll find the author in no time." Henry declared excitedly turning towards on the front stoop.

Regina looped her left arm around Henry's shoulder and pulled him close. "I know sweetheart and it's all thanks to you." She said with a kiss on his forehead. Opening the front door, Henry raced inside to escape the cold air.

"Henry! Don't forget to…" Regina started but was cut off.

"Hang my coat up &amp; put my shoes away? I know Mom!" Henry called from the foyer.

Smiling to herself, Regina followed him inside shutting the door. Henry passed her as she headed towards the coat closet.

"Can you make lasagna tonight?" Henry asked stopping at the bottom of the stairs. He asked it so simply that it was if no time had passed. Like he hadn't been gone for a year. That she hadn't missed his growth spurt or his voice transitioning from a boy into a man's.

Yet, the missed time between them was always there in little details. Things casually mentioned by Henry in passing. About his school friends in New York, the apartment where Emma and he had lived. The type of video games that he liked to play or his favorite pizza place in the Village.

"Of course dear. I'll call you down when it's ready." Regina replied with a smile.

"Cool!" Henry grinned then bounded up the stairs.

With a sigh, Regina took her gloves off her hands while listening to her son's footsteps echo throughout what was so often a too quiet space. Reaching for the closet door, Regina hesitated with her right hand in her pocket.

She had intended to put her leather gloves away and where there should be nothing inside, was what felt like a thickly folded piece of paper. The edges crisp and defined. Dropping her gloves into the pocket Regina pulled the paper from her coat.

With shaking hands she slowly started to unfold it. When all four edges opened to reveal the picture on its surface, Regina jumped back in alarm while letting out a small scream in the process.

Page XXIII fluttered to the ground as if in slow motion. The images of a young queen and a man about to kiss outside of a dimly lit pub. An event that had never happened seeming to mock her with its very presence.

"That's impossible." Regina said crouching down hesitantly picking up page 23.

"MOM?! ARE YOU OK? WHAT HAPPENED?" Henry yelled out from his bedroom.

Almost in a daze Regina called out "Yes! I'm fine Henry!"

"Are you sure?" He said thumping down the stairs. "Because I heard you scream and….Mom?"

Regina was holding the missing page with trembling hands and staring at it like she couldn't believe her eyes. Henry glanced at from his mom's surprised face and then looked at what she held in her hands.

"What is that?" He whispered looking at what appeared to be a page from his storybook. But something wasn't right because it showed an event that had never happened. "Is that…?"

"Yes. But this can't be here..." She mumbled so quietly that Henry had to strain to hear the words at all.

He looked at his mother's eyes that were rimmed with unshed tears waiting to fall and with hesitance said her name.

"Mom?"

Regina turned to Henry and seemed to realize that she was making him worry about her so she simply raised the corners of her lips to form a sad but small smile.

"I was just startled by finding this dear. Sorry to scare you. Why don't you go up stairs and read a few comic books? I'll call you down when it's time to eat." Regina said in a resigned tone before kissing Henry on the head and walking towards the kitchen with a hand clenched around the page she had been holding.

Henry watched his mother leaving the room and realized that she had still forgotten to take her coat off. He needed to find out what that page meant and why it had shook her up to the point of forgetfulness.


End file.
